Vol. 12, Special Issue 7 (2023)

Author(s):
Amita Gautam, SV Jogdand, RK Naik and Pushpraj Diwan

Abstract:
Onion harvesting is a labor-intensive and time-consuming process that significantly impacts the overall efficiency and profitability of onion cultivation. In this study, we present a comparative evaluation of a newly developed mechanized onion digger with the traditional manual harvesting method. The objective is to assess the performance, efficiency, labor requirements, and potential economic benefits of using the onion digger over the manual harvesting technique. The newly developed onion digger was designed to efficiently lift and separate mature onion bulbs from the soil, minimizing damage and improving overall crop yield. The study was conducted in a commercial onion field, comparing the digger's performance with the standard manual harvesting method commonly employed in the region. Benefit cost ratio in onion cultivation was found 3.64 with developed onion digger, which was 11.54% higher than manual harvesting.